South China Sea points dealt with ‘correctly,’ Xi Jinping tells outgoing Philippine President Duterte

Seeking to place a optimistic spin on a relationship that by no means fairly produced the hoped-for advantages, Chinese chief Xi Jinping instructed outgoing Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday that the 2 nations have “properly” dealt with the delicate concern of the disputed South China Sea.

Xi made his remarks in a telephone dialog with Duterte, who nurtured nearer ties with Beijing after taking workplace in 2016.

Despite cozier relations, nevertheless, sporadic territorial spats have persevered and Beijing has had restricted success separating the Philippines from its treaty ally, the United States.

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Xi made no point out of disputes, saying the edges “have adhered to the important consensus reached, adhered to good-neighbourly and friendly cooperation, insisted on properly handling differences, and insisted on working together for common development.”

“The proper handling of the South China Sea issue by both sides has provided an important foundation for China-Philippines friendly cooperation, benefited the two peoples, and effectively safeguarded regional peace and stability,” Xi was quoted as saying by the official Xinhua News Agency.

“China’s policy toward the Philippines maintains continuity and stability, and (China) is willing to work with the Philippines to promote the continuous and sound development of China-Philippines relations and continuously advance to a new level,” Xi mentioned.

Duterte is restricted to at least one time period and the Philippines holds presidential elections on May 9.

China claims just about your complete South China Sea, together with its wealthy fishing shares and undersea mineral assets. That has locked it into an more and more tense territorial standoff within the busy waterway with rival claimants the Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei.

China’s seizure of Scarborough Shoal prompted the Philippines to deliver the disputes to worldwide arbitration earlier than Duterte took workplace. In 2016, a U.N.-backed tribunal invalidated most of China’s claims and mentioned it has violated the appropriate of Filipinos to fish on the shoal.

China dismissed the ruling as a sham and continues to defy it, however allowed Filipino fishermen to return to the shoal beneath Duterte.

In March, U.S. Indo-Pacific Commander Adm. John C. Aquilino instructed The Associated Press on board a U.S. Navy reconnaissance plane that China has totally militarized three of the seven islands it constructed within the disputed Spratlys archipelago within the South China Sea, regardless of a promise by Xi not to take action.

Chinese weapon programs on the human-built islands embrace anti-ship and anti-aircraft missile programs, laser and jamming gear and navy plane.

China responded by saying that its deployment of “necessary national defense facilities on its own territory is a right entitled to every sovereign country and is in line with international law, which is beyond reproach.”